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Panic Attacks: What Happens When You Have One?

Over 1 in 10 people are reportedly affected

19/11/2019

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Have you ever been through a panic attack? The episodes are deeply personal, but tend to include a sensation of all-encompassing dread and loss of control – as well as physical effects, such as sweating, heart palpitations and hyperventilation.

While some are over in five minutes, others can hold you in their ice-y grip for more like half an hour. They're not uncommon, with some research suggesting that 13% of people globally have experienced one, at some point in their lives.

While previously as under-discussed as myriad other mental health issues, from anxiety to depression, we are getting better at opening up this conversation. Celebrities including Emma Stone and Selena Gomez have spoken out about the effect that panic attacks have had on their lives – and, in the process, have moved the response more into the mainstream.

What does a panic attack feel like?

Pretty horrible. As well as a feeling of loss of control and a total dread, people who deal with panic attacks sometimes report the episodes incurring an unshakeable belief that they are going to die, that they are detached from their bodies and that they are being choked.

Keep scrolling for precisely what's going on in your body when a panic attack takes hold.

1/ What triggers panic attacks?

Say your boss sets an impossible deadline on top of your promotion interview prep, a spat with your partner and an ongoing house move. When you’re in that overwhelming situation, your brain can start to freak out.

‘The hypothalamus [a small-but-mighty area of the brain, located near its base] sends a message to your pituitary gland, and together they activate the adrenal glands,’explains Johnson. ‘The stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol then flood your system, triggering the “fight or flight” response.’

2/ Why do panic attacks happen, evolutionarily?

While you experience some minor turbulence on your flight to Mallorca, your inner cavewoman is convinced you’re about to plummet to a fiery death.

The surge of adrenaline and cortisol induces shortness of breath, trembling, an increased heart rate, palpitations and a redirection of blood to certain muscles and organs.

‘It’s an evolutionary response designed to maximise your chances of survival,’ says Johnson. Your muscles are now primed to fight (or run, depending on your cavewoman abilities). But as you’re unable to expend this energy by fleeing, the sensation can leave you feeling pretty damn shaky.

3/ How do you stop a panic attack?

When you’re feeling panicked, you breathe out more than you need to, which causes levels of carbon dioxide in your blood to drop. ‘Low CO2 levels are an alarm signal to your brain, which activates your panic responses,’ says Dr Sanjeev Kamboj, pharmacology expert at University College London.

Break the cycle by drawing air deep into your belly and exhaling in a short, sharp burst. Repeat until your heart rate starts to fall.

4/ How long does a panic attack last?

Sit tight – adrenaline’s half-life is only about three minutes, and the initial panic will quickly pass. Cortisol will stick around for longer, levelling off within two hours when the more chronic feeling of stress will subside.But if the hypothalamus stays agitated, it’ll keep ordering the release of these hormones.

‘The best way to banish a panic attack is to remove yourself from the stressful situation as quickly as possible,’ advises Johnson. Change the scene and take a breather.

5/ And can you reduce your chances of future panic attacks?

Long-term cures for panic attacks range from CBT to medical prescriptions for more extreme cases. Anti-anxiety drugs like SSRIs can be used to treat psychological factors,while beta blockers act on physiological panic symptoms, such as heart rate increases and chest pains.

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